Late Night Vows
Harry lay in the hospital bed fuming.
He was so upset that everything was making him unhappy. The sheets were scratchy, and the pillow was lumpy, and he could still taste the general health potion he had been made to drink, so his mouth tasted like rotten socks. Even the soft light throughout the Hospital Wing was annoying - too light to sleep, too dark to really see anything clearly. He didn't know why he was here; the Phoenix Tears had cured every injury he'd received while in the Chamber of Secrets.
But Professor McGonagall had spotted him coming back from the Headmaster's office and insisted he be checked out by Madame Pomphrey, who had practically fainted when he told her a basilisk had bitten him and then insisted he stay the night for "observation". That would have been bad enough - being stuck in the hospital wing when he was perfectly healthy, but the Headmaster had visited after Mr. Malfoy had left his office, and Harry had taken the opportunity to ask him once again if he could stay at Hogwarts for the summer.
His request had been promptly denied, and Professor Dumbledore insisted he spend the entire summer with his relatives for reasons that "would be explained in detail when you're older, dear boy." The Headmaster hadn't even listened when Harry tried to explain that after the way he left Privet Drive last summer, the Dursleys were sure to be even worse than usual. If they didn't outright murder him as soon as he walked through the door of Number 4, he'd be shocked, but he was sure they would only refrain from killing him because they wanted to drag out his misery and make sure he spent his entire summer unhappy. They'd torture him all summer and then finally give in to their rage and kill him on August 30th. Harry'd bet money on it.
It just wasn't fair. Why should he have to live with the Dursleys? They clearly didn't want him, and he could very happily never see them again. And it didn't even make sense that they were his only family. His closest relatives, yes, but Harry had looked into his genealogy not long after coming to Hogwarts in his first year. He knew he had ties to multiple wizarding families through his father, the closest of which included the Blacks, the Diggorys, and the Patils. But there were even more that were distant relations. Why did he spend ten miserable years and one wretched summer with people that hated him just because they happened to be the most closely related?
At this point, he'd even be happy being alone. He was self-sufficient enough; he thought he could care for himself without an adult. It's not like Petunia ever fretted over his injuries or made sure he went to sleep at a reasonable time. Vernon never wanted to give him advice or help him with his schoolwork - even before he started studying "unnatural things." Harry could live a perfectly good life without his relatives. In truth, he'd probably get much more accomplished if he wasn't constantly worrying about upsetting them or making sure they never saw any of his "freakishness" when he was with them.
They didn't even pay for his care. Even before finding out he was a wizard and had piles of gold hidden below Gringotts, Petunia had spent pennies on him. Only giving him Dudley's worn-out clothes and the scraps from their meals. Harry would be shocked if Petunia spent more than £50 on Harry for the entire eleven years he had been in her care.
If only there were somewhere else he could go and just take care of himself during the summers. He doubted the Dursleys would miss him or even really notice he was gone. And considering how long he'd gone locked up in his room last summer with no food, apparently, no one from Hogwarts or the Ministry checked up on him. He wished he knew where his parents' house was. He thought it would belong to him - weren't all their possessions left to him? He could hide there all summer if he knew where it was and how to get there. He probably would have to tell Ron and Hermione, or they'd get worried like last summer. Even though he'd much prefer to keep something like that a -
Harry suddenly sat bolt upright.
A secret. I need somewhere secret to hide, and I just found a place that was secret for years and years—the Chamber of Secrets.
It would work perfectly, Harry thought. It was right here at Hogwarts, so it would be easy for him to sneak in at the end of term, and you needed a parseltongue to open the entrance. So even though Dumbledore and probably a few other Professors now knew where it was, they couldn't get in!
Harry settled on the bed, wondering if he was seriously considering this. Even as he told himself this was ridiculous, and far too extreme, and a terrible idea, he started to work through the logistics of what he'd need to do to make it happen. He could go down to the Hogwarts Express with Ron and Hermione and then sneak back under the cloak. If they went down towards the head of the group of students, he could easily double back before the gates were closed. On September 1st, he could go the same way he came - sneak down while invisible, wait until the train arrives, and then act as if he was on board the entire time.
His school supplies might be a problem, but wasn't Hogsmeade Village a short walk away? The third-years and up always come back from Hogsmead trips loaded down with sweets and the occasional restock of school supplies. He wondered if they had a Gringotts branch. Then he could pick up some money and do his shopping there. If not, there would probably be a public Floo like at the Leaky that he could use to go straight to Diagon Alley; he thought he remembered the twins raving about a pub they'd try and sneak Firewhisky from. That was sure to have a fireplace he could use.
Food would undoubtedly be the biggest issue. He could probably sneak back up and beg off from a Hogwarts house-elf, but he worried they'd have to tell a professor about him, and he'd be caught out within days. Plus, crawling up that pipe every time he wanted a drink sounded exhausting. Like a lightning bolt, he was hit again with a brilliant idea. He happened to know a house-elf that wasn't tied to Hogwarts but would potentially owe him a favor or two. He hated to call in on a favor for something he did freely, but if it meant never having to go back to the Dursleys' again, he'd do just about anything - including living in a grungy old chamber with only a dead snake and a slightly batty house-elf for company.
"Dobby?" Harry tentatively whispered.
There was a pause, long enough that Harry started to slump, because of course, it wouldn't work - back to the Dursleys I go, when there was a quiet pop, and Harry was greeted with the sight of Dobby in near raptures.
"Oh, Great Master Potter Sir, Dobby is so happy to be seeing you, sir. Dobby did not knows that he would be seeing the Great Master Potter Sir so soonly after the last time, and Dobby is being so happy to be reunited with the Great Master Potter Sir. Dobby is just so, so happy. Twice in one day does Dobby get to see the Great Master Potter Sir, Dobby is the luckiest of all elves." As he spoke, tears began gathering in Dobby's eyes and spilling over down his cheeks.
Deciding to interrupt quickly before Dobby could go off on a total tangent, Harry said, "Dobby, you really don't have to call me all that. You should just call me Harry. We're friends, aren't we?"
Of course, this had the opposite effect Harry was hoping for, as Dobby began to outright wail, "A friend? A friend to the Wonderful Great Master Potter Sir? How could Dobby EVER be friends with someone so kind, so mighty, so generous? Dobby is not being fit to be friends with the Wonderful Great Master Potter Sir, he is not, he is not."
Throwing a panicked glance towards Madame Pomphreys quarters, Harry quickly shushed Dobby and tried to get him to calm down, whispering platitudes and patting him on the shoulder.
When Dobby had finally stopped weeping, Harry tried again, "Dobby, I know you maybe don't view us as friends, but I do." Before the hysteria could begin again, Harry quickly continued, "And as you're my friend, I wanted to tell you something. I don't know how much you saw or remember from last summer, but...well, my relatives don't really care for me. Actually, they kind of hate me. Last summer, they left me locked up the entire time I was home and barely fed me. Usually, they make me do chores from sun up to sun down. The way they treat me reminds me of how you said the Malfoys treated you. And I just thought, well, you got free from the Malfoys, and that was so inspiring Dobby, that I thought I might free myself from my family as well?"
As he spoke, Dobby's expression went through rapid changes. First, horrible guilt at the reminder of what he had done when Harry was at Privet Drive last summer, then growing rage as Harry described the conditions at his relatives and compared his life to Dobby's own. Finally, tremendous pride at Harry's admission that he wanted to be free "like Dobby".
"So you see, Dobby, I thought I might hide myself in the Chamber of Secrets and stay there this summer. Almost nobody knows it exists or how to get to it, and even the couple of people who do know where to go can't get in since you need a parselmouth to do so. And as far as I know, I'm the only parselmouth in England right now."
Harry thought his luck was going very well, as Dobby seemed to be in total agreement with him, nodding along as Harry explained why he had chosen the Chamber before continuing with why he had called for Dobby.
"The only thing is, Dobby, I'm a bit worried about getting food into the Chamber. I know I can do the climb in and out a few times, but I definitely won't be able to do it every day. And I worried that any house-elf that saw me or helped me would tell a professor. So I was wondering if you might be willing to help me out a few times this summer? Just bring in a bit of food and drink every now and then. I don't need much!"
Dobby tilted his head consideringly, a slightly calculating glimmer showed in his eyes. Harry rapidly adjusted, worried Dobby would say no.
"And I'll pay you for your time, of course. I know you'll be busy this summer now that you're finally a free elf since I tricked Mr. Malfoy earlier, so I'd make sure you're well compensated for any time spent helping me." Harry reached the end of his pitch and crossed his fingers underneath the hospital bed blanket, hoping, praying, that Dobby would say yes and he wouldn't have to go back to the Dursleys.
"The Wonderful Great Master Potter Sir wants Dobby's help? He be wanting Dobby to be his elf this summer so he can hide from his nasty relatives? Dobby can be doing this. Dobby be taking payment, but if the Wonderful Great Master Potter Sir be needing an elf for several months, Dobby thinks he should bond with the Wonderful Great Master Potter Sir, so Dobby can be knowing if his master needs assistance. The Chamber of Secrets is very good at hiding from wizards, and maybe it can hide from Elves too. Dobby doesn't want the Wonderful Great Master Potter sir to go down in the dirty Chamber of Secrets and not being able to call for his Dobby because of hiding magic."
Relieved that things seemed to be back on track, Harry replied, "Yes! Yes that's alright then. I don't mind bonding with you for the summer, and I can still pay you, and obviously, I'd never treat you the way the Malfoys did. You'd just be a friend doing me a favor, and once school started up, I could free you again."
Dobby's ears flapped, and he blinked his large eyes a few times in Harry's direction before replying, "Dobby be thinking we should bond now. Then the Wonderful Great Master Potter sir can be sending Dobby to collect things he'd need for the summer."
Harry shifted closer to the edge of the bed and said, "Alright, err, how do we bond?" Harry hadn't ever heard about what went into bonding with a house elf. After returning to school from his visit to the Weasleys, Dobby's attempts at keeping him from Hogwarts were fresh in his mind, so he went to the library and did a little research into House Elves. While he had found a lot about their love of cleaning and looking after wizards and general helplessness without the "care and guidance" of their masters, Harry hadn't found much information. And the bit he had seen seemed pretty biased and as if it was written by wizards without any real experience with elves.
Dobby hopped up onto the bed and crawled closer to him, eyes seeming to grow impossibly larger, "It being easy. Elf and soon-to-be-master take hands, and each make a vow. It just taking a few seconds, and then we be bonded."
Harry extended his wand hand out, content to let Dobby take the lead on this, and let the elf clasp hands with him. Dobby's hand was much smaller than Harry's, and had a different texture than his own hand - despite the hard work Harry knew Dobby had done over his lifetime, his hand was still smooth and lacked the calluses of Harry's own hand.
Boy and elf settled across from each other on the bed with their legs crossed and right hands extended across their bodies; copying Dobby, Harry placed his left hand over his heart.
"The soon-to-be Master will repeat after Dobby." Dobby paused just long enough for Harry to nod in agreement before continuing, "I, Harry James of the House of Potter, consent that this elf be bonded to my magic." Dobby paused and allowed Harry to repeat the sentence, "I vow to provide shelter and care for the elf known as Dobby in return for assistance in the well-being of me and mine. I vow to allow the elf to be sustained off the magic I and any heirs of mine produce. I vow to treat the elf known as Dobby and any heirs he produces fairly and with respect. If I may break this vow, may Morgana strike me down and magic herself abandon me." As he repeated Dobby's words sentence-by-sentence, Harry felt his magic swirling up through his center and extending in a lazy curl towards Dobby. Even having never done this before, he could tell his magic was waiting for something - the vow was causing his magic to reach out in an attempt to bond with Dobby, but it was as yet incomplete.
Harry closed his eyes, barely listening as Dobby made a reciprocal vow, promising to serve and assist Harry and other pledges that Harry didn't hear. He had never sensed his magic so potent before, never felt it so...solid as if he could reach out and touch it. It felt warm and inviting and almost as if it was crackling just beneath the surface - the way a bonfire will send up sparks. Harry opened his eyes again just in time to see Dobby stop speaking, and then he felt a sharp jolt of power straight into his core, leaving him breathless. All of the tangible magic he had felt extending from him slowly reeled back into his center, except for what felt like a single thread that had knotted with the end of what must have been a string of Dobby's magic. He could sense Dobby at the end, feeling a general sense of joy and excitement from him, and felt the elf's magic had joined with his.
Dobby was smiling at him with a grin that took up most of his face, and his body seemed to be trembling with excitement.
"Dobby and Master be bonded. The binding was successful." Dobby's ears flapped as if to emphasize his words. Harry, still a bit overwhelmed from the experience, simply nodded in response.
"Dobby can be getting things ready for the Wonderful Great Master Potter sir to be staying in the dirty Chamber of Secrets. Master be wanting a comfy bed and other furniture, yes? Dobby can be going to buy this in Diagon Alley for Master. Then when the Wonderful Great Master Potter sir be leaving the healing rooms, he can be showing Dobby how to enter the Chamber of Secrets. Once I be knowing where it is, I can be using elf magic to get there."
"That's all great Dobby, but first, I'd really like you to just call me Harry. You don't need to call me by any titles." When Dobby's expression stayed skeptical, Harry rushed to say, "I don't want anyone to think I'm all high-and-mighty like Malfoy, and if they heard you calling me that, then I think they'd tease."
"Hmpf. I not be seeing how it's anyone elses business how Master and Dobby be calling each other, but Dobby will do as Harry asks most of the time."
Harry was glad he could get Dobby to agree without offending him or making him break down into sobs again.
"Great! Thanks Dobby, that's great! And if you can go and pick up what you think I'll need in Diagon Alley that'll be great too. I have money in Gringotts, although I don't have my key. I can try and ask for it, I think Mrs. Weasley still has it from last summer."
"Dobby not be needing key." Dobby said with pride, "Gringotts goblins can recognize bonded magic and will give Dobby access to Master's vaults. Harry be calling Dobby when you are freed from healing rooms and can take Dobby to Chamber of Secrets. Dobby can take care of the rest. Master need not worry, just focus on getting better."
"Perfect, that's really great Dobby, thank you!" Harry couldn't believe how well this was going, his spur-of-the-moment idea was taking shape, and he might actually pull this off!
Dobby hopped off the bed and began ushering Harry to lay back, tucking the bed sheets in around him. A twitch of Dobby's fingers had a glass of water on the nightstand within reach of Harry, and a second had Harry's glasses gently floating off of his face. Harry saw the blurry blob that was Dobby take the glasses from the air and fold them up.
"Master Harry be needing new glasses. Dobby shall schedule appointment with optomage this summer so Master can be seeing properly."
"Oh, er, thanks Dobby, that'd be nice."
"Dobby knows that being nice, Dobby also knows that now it's time for Harry to be going to sleep." With those last words and a quiet pop, Dobby disappeared from the hospital wing, off to, apparently, go shopping to furnish the Chamber of Secrets.
Harry had to hold back laughter. Dobby had always seemed a bit off, but apparently, once you were bonded to him, he got quite bossy. Although Harry couldn't picture the elf being so high-handed with the Malfoys. He supposed Dobby knew him well enough to know Harry wouldn't treat him as terribly as his former family. Harry also wondered if there was something about the bond that sparked Dobby's more relaxed behavior. If Harry focused, he could still feel Dobby at the end of the tether and could just pick up the sense that Dobby was content and excited. He wondered if Dobby had been able to pick up Harry's happiness and fondness for the elf and hadn't worried so much about punishments he received from the Malfoys.
Either way, it was a question to look into later. He's sure he could talk to Hermione about it once she was unpetrified, and she'd be fascinated by the subject. Harry couldn't remember ever studying something like the elf-wizard bond in any of their classes or even anything about magical vows in general. Perhaps he should have researched a little more prior to experimenting with this entirely unknown branch of magic. Still, Harry thought it had turned out okay, and honestly, anything to avoid going back to the Dursleys.
More relaxed now that there was a definite plan for his summer holiday that included zero time spent with the Dursleys, Harry was able to close his eyes and settle in for the night. His last thought before he drifted off into sleep was to wonder how they'd go about getting rid of the basilisk corpse.